Mach ines



(No Model.)

J. H. BULLARD. SHUTTLE FOR SEWING MAGHINES.

No. 248,701. Patented Oct. 25,1881.

N. PETERS. Pmmumu m lwn Wflshmglon. 0v C. I

UNITED States PATENT Price.

JAMES H. BULLARD, OF SPRINGFIELD, MASSACHUSETTS, ASSIGNOR TO THESPRINGFIELD SEWING MACHINE COMPANY, OF SAME PLACE.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 248,701, dated October25, 1881,

(No model.)

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, JAMEs H. BULLARD, t Springfield, in the county ofHampden and State of Massachusetts, have invented a new and usefulImprovement in Shuttles for Sewing-Machines, of which the following is aspecification and description.

The object of my invention is to facilitate the adjustment of tension ofthe thread when to unwound from the shuttle-bobbin, and I accomplishthis by the means substantially as hereinafter described and illustratedin the accompanying drawings, in which- Figure I is a front side view ofa sewing-ma- 1 chine shuttle with the tension-spring secured in place.Fig. II is a plan or top view of the same with a portion of the frontend broken away, and in section to show the adjustingpin. Fig. III is arear side view of the shut- 2o tle. Fig. 1V is a transverse section ofthe front end of the shuttle at line 0, showing the relative position ofthe adjusting-pin with the adjustingscrew. Fig.V is a plan View of thetensioirspring. Fig. VIis an edge view of the same.

In the drawings,A represents the front plate of the shuttle, slottled,as at 1, to receive the springs 2 and 12, and also to reduce the weightof the shuttle, and B represents the back or rib of the shuttle, both ofwhich are preferably of cast metal and made in one piece.

The bobbin may be held in place in the shuttle by a small spring, as 12,secured to the rear end of the shuttle by the screw 11, the free 5 endof which spring extends up in rear of the long open space between thetwo ends of the shuttle, and is provided with a smallrecess orindentation to receive the pointed end of the bobbin, the other oropposite end of the shut- 0 tle being also provided with a similarrecess to receive the other end of the bobbin.

The tension-spring, as 2, is secured to the end of the shuttle by thescrew 3, in a position with its shank extending along in the slot 1 5ot' the plate A, and about midway the length of the slot the portion, as7, of the spring extends to one side of the slot and lies quite near to,orin contact with, the inside of the plate A, and at one side of theslot 1, and this portion of the tension-spring terminates at one end intwo prongs, as 8, with a space or an opening,

as 9, between them, with the onterproug turned upward a little or awayfrom the plate A, as shown in Fig. II, and at the other end the springterminates in two prongs, as 14 and 15, with a space or opening, as 19,between, and with the extreme end of the prong l4 bent into a smallhole, as 18, in the plate A, to prevent the thread from beingaccidentally caughtunder that prong.

A hole is bored into the front end of the shuttle, on theline O of Fig.II, and a pin, as 6, is inserted therein, said pin extending from theupper side of the spring 2 to a conicalheaded screw, as 5, turned into athreaded hole extending in from the side of the rib B at substantially aright angle to the pin 6, as shown clearly in Fig. IV, the screw-holebeing countcrbored to receive the tapered or conical screw-head.

When the spring 2 is secured in place by the screw 3 the shank of thespring lies in the slot 1 of the plate A, and the part 7 of the spring,together with its prongs at each end, liesjust in contact, or nearly so,with the inner surface of the plate, with little or no pressure of saidspring against the plate; but if the screw 5 be turned in, its conicalhead, as itcomes in contact with the end of the pin 6, crowds the latteroutward against the spring 2 and causes the part 7 to press against theinner face of the plate A with more or less force, according as thescrew is turned in or out.

The shuttle-bobbin is inserted in place by forcing the free end of thespring 12 backward toward the rear end of the shuttle, and then placingthe pointed ends of the bobbin, one into the slight recess in theforward end of the shuttle, and the other end into the slight recess inthe free end of the spring 12, letting go that end of said springforward against the end of the bobbin.

To thread the shuttle the end of the thread is passed beneath theupturned end of the outer prong,8,then passed along between thatspring 5and the plate A, and pulled out from beneath the opposite prong, 14,into the space 19 between the prongs 14 and 15, and the end is thenpassed inside the guard 10, over and against which the thread passes inbeing unwound from the spool in the operation of sewing. The shuttle isthen placed in the carrier, andif the tension of the thread is not asdesired it is only necessary to draw back the plate or slide over theshuttle-race, and with a screw-driver turn the screw 5 in one directionor the other, according as the tension is to be greater or less, andwithout removing the shuttle from its place in the carrier.

If desired, the bobbin may be made to re volve with more or lessfriction by turning the screw 11 in or out slightly, which has theeffect to tilt the free end of the spring 12 more or less toward or fromthe bobbin, as desired.

The line D shows the position of the thread in the openings 9 and 19,and between the tension-spring and the front plate of the shuttle inpassing from the bobbin, when the shuttle is threaded and in use.

It is evident that instead of an indentation in the forward end orshoulder of the shuttle to receive one pointed end of the bobbin, and asimilar indentation in the free end of the spring 12 to receive theother pointed end of the bobbin, the two ends of the bobbin may have anindentation or recess to receiveapoint on the front shoulder of theshuttle, and upon the free end of the spring 12.

It is evident that instead of making the pin 6, which I here denominateagib, of a cylindrical and elongated form, like a pin or stud, as shown,it may be made of aglobular or spherical form, and of a diameter toextend from the tapered or conical head of the screw to the inner faceof the spring 2, and will then serve the same purpose and produce thesame result.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new is- In asewing-machine shuttle, the combination, with the front plate of theshuttle, of a tension-spring secured to the end of said shuttle, andhaving a side extension lying contignous to the inner face of said plateand parallel thereto, and with a longitudinal slot or opening in eachend, a conical-hez'tded adjusting'screw turned into a threaded hole insaid shuttle, substantially parallel with the face of 50 said spring,and a gib extending between the innerface of said tension-springand saidscrew, whereby the movement either in or out of the head of said screwagainst the gib will cause the said tension-springto press againsttheinner face of said plate with more or less force, substantially asdescribed.

JAMES H. BULLARD.

Witnesses:

T. A. CURTIS, E. M. BIssELL.

